Mope, A True Crime Movie About The Porn Industry
Whether you like pornography in film, loathe its existence, or think it ruins the idea of what sex should or should not be is irrelevant. Movies about porn aren’t for everyone. Steve Driver and Tom Dong are real people and this film, called “Mope” is based on a real crime. The Mope movie cast is full of recognizable actors and they do a magnificent job of pretending to be the bottom feeders of this grimy arena. Despite the narrative being well immersed in unsavory themes, Mope is an excellent gem of a film.
Starring David Arquette as Rocket, in Mope, he plays a well-known porno director. Duly in charge of knowing where to find and how to employ mopes. Steve Driver, is played by Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (Candyman 2021) and he encompasses the obsession-like desire of his real-life inspiration Steven Clancy Hill. Of course, Steve Driver is his porno name and in the film, his best mate Tom Dong (played by Kelly Sry) is just one of the people murdered in the real-life story from 2010. That’s not a spoiler, it happened and was on the news.
What’s the Mope Film About?
The Mope film is the story of two best friends, Steve Driver and Tom Dong. Down on their luck with life’s lot, they are looking for fame in all the wrong places. As pawns in the porn game, and without the personal attributes required by such an industry, they get in on the ground level. The two friends join forces thinking that together, their lack of skills will look more appealing if coupled side by side. Of course in life, you can always get kicked while you’re down. What they lack in being famous, they make up for with infamy.
What is a Mope?
verb and noun
- 1. feel dejected and apathetic.” no use moping-things could be worse”
- 1. low-level, wannabe porn actor who perhaps isn’t quite well endowed. Also may not be attractive enough to achieve the success granted to “bigger”-name porn stars.
What Should I Expect When Watching Mope?
The film begins with a Bukkake scene. Let me tell you, I don’t frequent any of this terminology. For the most part, I needed to google terms like bukkake and cock sling to be able to write a review on Mope. If I explain any of the words used, it’s because I didn’t know what they meant so I figured others might not either. If all this stuff rolls off your tongue, good for you.
A bukkake scene is a gang bang scene and apparently, this type of kink culture production is where mope’s like to hang out. Base-level pornography movie stars. The opening scenes are confronting, but if the premise doesn’t make you run for the hills, this is a must-see film. The comedy comes from watching the outrageous scenes be played out in their full glory. I had a few laugh-out-loud moments throughout the 105-minute runtime, probably more than I should have.
Steve and Tom begin working for a company that specializes in ‘ballbusting’ among other things. It’s both cringe-inducing and hilarious at the same time. This outrageous act is almost used as an initiation process by its founder Eric who uses his applicants to obtain content. Offering Mopes work like this, tells the director just how desperate someone is. The fact Eric is later referred to as King of the Mopes is not surprising.
Pornography in Movies
How Do You Rate a Film About Porn?
Of course, it’s here I should add something. Despite this being a movie about true crime in the porn industry, if you’re looking for close-ups of his peen and money shots, you’ve come to the wrong film. While there are certain scenes that leave nothing to the imagination there is hardly any nudity shown in Mope. The cinematography is crafted with perfection. For those wanting an inside look into this side of the film industry without having to partake in gratuitous sex scenes, this is a good place to start.
There’s a certain amount of sadness behind each and every funny thing that occurs. It’s in the eventually revealed backstory of Driver the film becomes less jovial. Instead, it gets seedier as you realize that almost everyone portrayed in the movie is a victim of something.
Steve Driver Wanted to be a Pornography Film Star
Mope is an amazingly constructed story that develops at a pace you don’t even realize as it speeds along. There’s a tension, for me, which came even though I was unaware of the outcome. I still sensed that nothing good could come of this. Steven Driver’s inability to recognize any of his behaviors was as concerning as it was surprising. He comes across as somewhat childlike in his decision making and by the end, that aspect makes perfect sense.
Mope’s director and writer Lucas Heyne’s directorial debut following a couple of short films is quite the statement. It’s a gripping story off the back of a real event and done in a way that both humanizes and shines a light into places most would have never seen.
For the record, I’m not a fan of porn. I don’t like the underbelly of this arena but none of it makes me uncomfortable. Mope is a work of art and like anything, should be counted on its merit.
Overall, this film is nuts and will cause a range of feelings if you dare to seek it out. I encourage you to do so though because it’s a great story of just how far the system can fail even the lowest of society’s victims.
Mope is rated
4.5 “they’re not hot, they’re dishwashing gloves” out of 5
Mope 2019
You can watch the Mope movie from June 16th on VOD everywhere. For more options on where to watch this excellent true crime story with an x-rated narrative check the link below. Mope is streaming for free in the USA on FuboTV and available as a rental on AppleTV
Where to Watch the Mope Movie
Mope movie Where To Watch:
Mope is a movie that premiered at Sundance. In 2019 the film took its run at the Toronto True Crime Film Festival and Mother of Movies had a press pass.
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